Awards nights are usually reserved for showstopping gowns, but in one swoop, Robin Wright resisted the norm in a backless Ralph Lauren custom jumpsuit done in ivory as a contemporary take on the lady tuxedo.
It was at the 2014 Emmys back in August, when she was nominated for lead actress as the impeccably dressed Claire Underwood in House of Cards. She didn't win, but her twist on the trendy jumpsuit earned her mega-votes for best dressed that night.
Jumpsuits are back, for day and evening, at least on the backs of celebrities.
Bellamy Young, the first lady of Scandal, donned a sleeveless one-piece in a black-and-cream print with a skinny belt when she met actual first lady Michelle Obama on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Michelle Rodriguez showed up at a photo call for Furious 7 in a white leather capri length version with a long front zip. And Lady Gaga hit the streets of New York in a sheer black jumpsuit from Fleur du Mal – statement silver necklace, chandelier earrings and chunky bracelets in place.
Not everyone is sold on jumpsuits, however, and among those who have gone there, evening jumpsuits can still feel risky.
“It had a beautiful lapel and the fit and fabrication were amazing,” said New York stylist Kemal Harris of Wright’s plunging Emmy outfit, paired with a slicked-back do, dainty diamond studs in her ears and a long silver chain.
Harris styled Wright for the look and dresses her routinely on and off her Netflix show.
“The open back lent it a dress-up red carpet vibe, but it does feel a little risky. She’s very open to taking risks, but she also loves any excuse to wear a pair of pants,” Harris laughed.
So do lots of us, but New York accessories expert Alison Minton, with two evening jumpsuits left untouched in her closet since the late 1990s, isn’t sold on one-pieces for the masses.
"If you remember Charlie's Angels wearing the jumpsuits – and I'm talking the show, not the movie – then I don't think you should be wearing one," said Minton, accessories editor for the site Newyorksocialdiary and longtime blogger at Accessorygeneration.com.
“I’ll give a little bit more leeway to the evening ones, only because they tend to be a little more elegant and they drape a little bit better,” she said. “The evening ones look more like a dress.”
Harris has worn a jumpsuit or two, lauding the old mechanic’s style as it mounts a slouchy comeback.
“You have to take the entire thing down just to go to the bathroom,” she acknowledged. “Apart from that, they’re the most comfortable thing to wear. That’s what I hear all the time from clients. It’s just something fun and different. You get a little bored of the usual dresses and workwear.”
artslife@thenational.ae